The number of Syrian refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries is expected to reach two million in the coming weeks. Approximately half of these human beings are children. In some ways, helping the Syrian refugee children is remarkably simple. But what do you offer a child who wakes screaming in the middle of the night, reliving a rocket attack on his house?

Amani may know nothing about the trillions of dollars' worth of minerals hiding beneath the ground of her country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). But she may reap the benefits of her country's mineral wealth in the future, thanks to a new Canadian G8 commitment announced by Harper in London last week.

The fact that the G8 addressed tax fairness means the tax haven issue has made its way to the top of the global political agenda. That it quite an accomplishment for a small global tax justice network campaigning for the past decade to get governments to take action.

Stephen Harper's decision to protect those who use international tax havens to evade paying their taxes is inexplicable and unacceptable. Canadian companies should be good global citizens paying their fair share of taxes in countries where they operate, not hiding behind tax shelters and shell companies. After all, tax evasion is hurting the Canadian economy as well -- one estimate puts the cost at $7.8 billion per year, or slightly more than the amount the government will spend on infrastructure in First Nations communities over the next decade. Yet the government will not even provide the Parliamentary Budget Officer with the data necessary to calculate an official figure.

While market-based approaches -- and impact investing in particular -- are not a silver bullet, they must form part of the solution to our development challenges. We call upon G8 leaders to grant them the thoughtful due diligence that they deserve.

The G8 summit next week could not have come at a better time for Prime Minister Harper, giving him respite from the Senate circus and allowing him to generate photo ops with the Queen and the world's big shots. But challenges await him there too.

A tax haven (or "fiscal paradise" in french) seems like a benign, if rampant, breach of the law. It's just a matter of shifting money around, right? Except when a secret company/tax haven is used to shield the activities of a notorious African dictator. Suddenly, the mysterious offshore world no longer seems so harmless.

The word is spreading: investing in girls is the catalyst poor countries need to break the cycle of poverty. But what about the boys? In our focus on girls, are we leaving the boys behind -- making them the new disadvantaged group?

All too often, the Conservatives designate a minister with little knowledge of a file to defend it against opposition attacks. Quite often this is done by one of their attack dogs. Other than the present administration, I don't recall that happening under previous Liberal or Conservative governments.

Canada helped create the G20. Can it now help re-energize its child? It boasts of dodging the financial crisis thanks to its wise regulatory stance, but so far has done little to help fill the leadership or financing gap.

The hallmark of Bono's celebrity activism has been a concern with gaining access to key political decision-makers. However, over the last year the focus of attention has turned away from a fixation with politicians at the apex of power in the traditional global establishment.